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SRHking
joined wrestlingmarks.com on 2/1/08
2007 match of the year
by SRHking on 2/19/08 3:54 PM
this article came frolm wrestleview.com
1. John Cena v. Umaga, Last Man Standing, Royal Rumble 2007(10,750 pts.)
HG: Really, there isn?t a lot to be said about this match that hasn?t been said a million times by anyone who knows much about anything related to wrestling. This was pretty much the walk-away winner this year and with good reason.
For such a wild brawl, it?s technically brilliant. The way the violence just escalates and how the story evolves as the match moves along is something you really don?t get to see a lot of in any match, never mind a match like this. There?s clubbering and then a spot that Cena barely escapes being pulvarized. More clubbering, crazier spot, Cena survives. Continue clubbering holy crap crazy spot that Cena finds a way to save his skin yet again. Then the match just leaps away from being what you thought it would be: a predictable WWE title match and more of a guessing game as to how the hell Cena is going to Survive. The title becomes secondary to the story. It?s not about Cena winning. It?s about him surviving.
The last spot wasn?t just dramatic and different, but it just tied in so well with the characters and themes of escalation, frustration and survival. Estrada is fun to watch here because he just is the topping on the cake as you watch him get more and more angry on the outside as Umaga isn?t able to seal the deal. Umaga?s losing his cool and now it ain?t about belts. He can have those whenever he wants them. It?s about putting Cena?s head on a pole, just like any good Samoan savage would want to do. Cena?s just trying to figure out a way to live through it all and he does, as the last and craziest attempt to do him in fails and ends up playing to his advantage. Nice little irony there, too. Cena doesn?t beat Umaga, he has to get lucky and flat kill him to survive.
God, I love this match and really, it?s the best match the WWE?s put out since the JBL-Eddie Guererro blood bath at Judgement Day in 2004. This isn?t just a top match for this year, but it?s probably one of the top five matches the WWE?s had this decade if not in all of wrestling. ****1/2
Comments
(20 total)
From JamesP on 2/19/08 4:14 PM
I've never trusted the opinons of the Raw recapper and the author of Pros From The Palace. They'd give Cena vs. Big Flabby V a **** rating. Cena vs. Umaga was overrated. They had two cool spots at the end and that's it.
From SRHking on 2/19/08 4:19 PM
what the fuck james! If you think that the are full of crap, then read this: HBK v. John Cena, Raw 4/23/07 (9, 980pts.)
HG: This match might be the most deliberately booked match I?ve seen in a long time. After watching this one four or five times, it?s really clear that the WWE wanted to use this match to shut fans up so far as John Cena?s actual wrestling ability is concerned. The title is taken out of it to prevent it from distracting and Cena?s whole approach to this is completely and totally different than any of the matches we?ve seen previously.
Cena?s a modern day, improved version of Jerry Lawler. He works the comeback style effectively and rarely likes to come off as dominant, but rather gutsy. John Cena in this match was COMPLETELY different from any John Cena we had seen to this point. He totally strays from the typical formula.
Cena comes into the match after decisively beating Michaels at Wrestlemania. Because of the win he?s overflowing with confidence which is a stark contrast to the slight timid demenor he had heading into Wrestlemania. In fact, Cena?s boarderline disrespectful of the future hall of famer.
Not only is he dismissive in his demenor, but he completely and totally dominates Michaels through the first third of the match. However, HBK?s a resourceful guy and is able to eventually goad Cena into a game of one-upsmanship. Cena gets the better initially, but slowly but surely, he begins to grow frustrated. With every big move Michaels avoids, the frustration on Cena?s face grows.
More importantly, with every big move Michaels avoids, he buys himself time and a new opportunity?.to strike. However when Michaels does hit sweet chin music out of nowhere, he?s too worn down to make an effective cover. Cena?s just beaten the crap out of him too much. He?s going to have to hit it again and it?s already taken him a quarter of a year to hit ONE, so the odds aren?t in his favor.
The last ten minutes are crash and burn moments. Cena has been somewhat rope-a-doped and Michaels has been beaten like a school boy. But it?s the one ever so slight moment that gives him the tiniest of openings and he connects and wins.
The funny part about all of this though is that it?s not HBK who gets the rub. Cena did. Cena called an hour long match on his own, played it completely differently from what he?s done before and then did the unthinkable and jobbed. The irony is fun just because Cena basically tosses out the window that 1.) He can?t call a match, 2.) Is a one dimensional slug and 3.) Never loses.
Again, it?s a total put-over for Cena, but it?s a heck of a way to do it. ****
From JamesP on 2/19/08 4:35 PM
Yes, I read it. Hunter Golden likes to spin things to make Cena look good. It's easy to do a 1 hour match if the first 35 minutes are headlocks with occasional action going on.
From SRHking on 2/19/08 4:49 PM
what the hell? you still have to give cena credit. and hunter wasnt the only writer reviewing the matches. go to wrestleview.com to see for yourself
From 92tombstone92 on 2/19/08 4:53 PM
ok Cean vs. Umaga was not the best match of 07 its in the top 10 but it wasn't the best match of 07 there were many better matches than that.
From SRHking on 2/19/08 4:56 PM
what was better than?
From JamesP on 2/19/08 5:00 PM
The best match, and I'm completely apalled that it didn't make the list, is Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuiness from ROH: Driven.
From 92tombstone92 on 2/19/08 5:19 PM
well the Taker vs. Batista match at WM was better
the Mysterio vs. Chavo i quit matches
and others
From JamesP on 2/19/08 5:30 PM
Taker vs. Batista was overrated. It was a good match and all, but not MOTY material. I think he praise has a lot to do with the fact that it was better than expected.
From SRHking on 2/19/08 5:34 PM
i'M NOT TAKING ABOUT JUST GREAT WRETLING, BUT THE WHOLE PACKAGE: ENTAINMENT, STORY TELLING, WRESTLING, AND A GREAT FINSH
From cptcharisma1157 on 2/19/08 7:29 PM
Cena vs. Umaga wasn't that great. I thought Orton/Trip at No Mercy and Taker/Batista and Benoit/MVP were all better. And James is very right here, Batista/Undertaker was surprisingly good. We all expected it to be crap, but it was actually decent. I think Batista is really only capable of having a good match if it's with Taker.- the end of the Chamber was very good.
From theone86 on 2/21/08 2:15 PM
"ENTAINMENT, STORY TELLING, WRESTLING, AND A GREAT FINSH"
This is the most hypocritical cop-out for WWE. They go on and on about story-telling and wrestling a great match, but in the case of Cena-Umaga, or just about any Cena match for that matter, it's just someone beating up on Cena for the duration before Cena hulks up. Cena-Umaga sucked. It was nothing but a 20 minute beatdown of Cena before he got back up and somehow beat Umaga. That is NOT good storytelling. Good storytelling is working an opponent over, good storytelling is back and forth action, good storytelling is doing something unique. Cena does NONE of these ever.
From JamesP on 2/21/08 6:25 PM
I agree. It was just a typical Cena match except with a unique ending. Hunter Golden was trying too hard to make this seem epic and in no way is this one of the greatest matches of all time or this decade, yet alone last year.
From SnoHo24 on 2/21/08 9:18 PM
I think Cena v. HBK (4/23/07), Taker v. Batista (WM23), and the MiTB match (WM23) were the 3 best of the year, entertainment wise at least.
From JamesP on 2/21/08 9:39 PM
Oh, you mean the 50 minute headlock competiton?
From SRHking on 2/22/08 1:52 PM
ladies and genltemen, I give you the biggest jackass in the world today, JamesP
From JamesP on 2/22/08 3:33 PM
How mature...
From JamesP on 2/22/08 4:40 PM
Hunter basically described why the match sucked. All it was was Umaga beats up Cena, Cena beats the 10 count, lather, rinse, repeat. It got to a point where you absolutely knew that Cena would win.
From SRHking on 2/22/08 8:21 PM
well, thanks for your unbais statements
From JamesP on 2/22/08 8:47 PM
Well that's what it was. I'd have the same opinion if it were Chris Benoit, Bret Hart, Undertaker, Randy Orton, Bryan Danielson, Edge, or Samoa Joe.